[want to read from the beginning about my bathroom redesign? then click this post!]

As I mentioned, while in Phoenix, I shopped at IKEA. What else to do when your handyperson is sick but to spend more and more money?

I managed to knock off every hardware/decor item off my list (except the weirdly-configured switchplate), but the big excitement was the fabric, some of which was on sale, most of which are out of stock in California, and all of which were affordable.

You’ll have to wait and see which pattern won for the bathroom curtain. (from left: Patricia, Kajsastina, Majken, Stockholm Blad)

After I got back, and with Jeanie feeling better, I returned to the task of wheedling, finally getting her and Carla over to finish up the tiling.

Jeanie feeling the holy vibrations of the beautiful tile.

Carla using the nips (snort) to cut the tile for the weird angles and corners.

While they toiled, I kept the wine glasses refilled, told dirty jokes, sang Elvis Costello songs, and took inappropriate pictures.

That night, I posted a big “Thank you Carla and Jeanie!” on Facebook. Almost immediately, my friend Kim posted the following:

Dang! I wasn’t invited :-/ I am sure I could have been helpful…somehow…

She was serious! I wrote her and said if she was available Saturday, there’s some groutin’ and baseboardin’ to do. She said she couldn’t wait. What? People actually like to help with this crap?

I actually got into the spirit and got to grouting the day before Kim came, all by myself! Even though the night before I had a dream that I accidentally used chocolate syrup instead of grout compound. True story. Anyway, I forged ahead.

First this happened. Stupid ripping bag of grout.

Then this happened. Lookit me, I’m grouting! (it’s supposed to look like that, really) Every step of this process gets messier and messier.

And then this happened! My beautiful floor, dappled by the morning light. Try not to look at the thrashed vanity paint job, whoa.

Then Kim came over. And we made some measurements and jetted to the local home improvement store for some hot baseboard action.

Baseboards are a pain in the ass, but a much different pain than the messy, shit-getting-everywhere pain. Just a pain of measuring and sawing, but once that’s done, the rest is relative cake. Ew, relative cake!

Baseboard!

I decided to reinstall the old toilet, which was a mistake for a variety of reasons. The hardware was old and crumbly, the toilet was wobbly, tank leaked.. all these problems got fixed but it would’ve been miles easier to just bite the bullet and shell out the kesh for a new toilet now instead of later. Dumb.

But then we wouldn’t have these shots.

Kim scraping the old wax ring off the Demon Sewage Hole. Yum.

Proof that I actually worked! I’ll tell you, I am not a fan of having my face near a toilet in any circumstance.

Oh, we’re getting so close. I then hired my friend Jeremy to put up the hardware, since my hands have stopped working, and I have a birthday cold, too.

Shelves and a smile. You can tell how much he loves the photo interruptions!

And this, my friend, is the home stretch. Except for the Stalled Shower Stall, which is going to have to wait, everything is tantalizingly close to done.

Next post, full money shot reveal! If As soon as I get it done!

Master Timeline (new and improved)

1. Remove hardware and buy replacement hardware (knobs, TP  holder, hook, curtain rod, towel rod, switchplate, shelves)
2. Paint drawers and cabinets, walls
3. Replace hardware  (knobs, TP  holder, hook, curtain rod, towel rod, switchplate, shelves)
4. Rip up carpeting, assess what kind of prep floor needs for tiling (handy friends will help)
5. Remove toilet (handy friends will help)
6. Purchase last round of expensive crap for the floor (adhesive, threshold, seal, grout)
7. Tile floor (handy friends will lend tools and set me started)
8. Touch up drawers, seal
9. Grout tile
10. Install baseboards
11. Install old toilet (again with the handy friends)
12. Seal grout
13. Caulk baseboards, touch up paint
14. Install threshold
15. Buy material, make curtains
16. Artwork and decor
17. Figure out an affordable way to make shower stall look better (replace glass only?)
18. Have shower stall power cleaned (hire expert — they use acid!)

See all bathroom redesign pictures here

Previous bathroom posts:

• bathroom redesign 01
• bathroom redesign 02
• bathroom redesign 03